Advertisement

Manchester City XI vs Swindon: Confirmed team news, starting lineup, Covid and injury latest for FA Cup today

 (ES Composite)
(ES Composite)

Swindon host a Manchester City side in tonight’s FA Cup third-round tie suffering from multiple Covid-19 absences.

Manager Pep Guardiola and his assistant, Juanma Lillico, are two of the 21 members of the coaching and playing staff to have tested positive ahead of the trip south.

A total of seven players and 14 backroom members have the virus. Phil Foden and Oleksandr Zinchenko were confirmed as coming down with Covid after the win at Arsenal, while Kyle Walker returned to the squad after an absence with the illness.

Riyad Mahrez (AFCON) is unavailable and John Stones (knock) misses the game, which has gone ahead despite the outbreak.

Assistant coach Rodolfo Borrell will take charge of City from the dugout and told reporters on Thursday: “We have seven players [out with Covid], I have to prepare a game tomorrow.

“We have to go again, we don't know if tomorrow more players will be unavailable. I would not like to mention them because I might forget one. I don't think it is for me to say right now.

“It's seven players and 14 staff unavailable so it's not for me to say. To fill in the whole squad and travel with at least five or six substitutes, we have to bring some players from the second team. But the outbreak involves players from the second team so it's not that easy.”

He added: “It's possibly one of the easiest line-ups to decide: we just play with the ones available. We don't have many more.”

Confirmed Man City XI: Steffen; Walker, Dias, Ake, Cancelo; Rodri, Gundogan, De Bruyne; Palmer, Silva, Jesus.